Dear Editor,
There is this constant cry from the public for Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling to bring the crime situation under control. The focus primarily surrounds the following matters: excessive use and possession of illegal firearms, reckless scooter riders and robberies. These three issues are intertwined, and so it is easy to understand the motives and the gravity of each situation.
With reference to the illicit guns, this state of affairs has spun out of control for more than a decade - way before this minister dreamt of occupying her current position. The question is: What have the other justice ministers done to curtail this alarming situation, and is the public being fair to whom they are directing their demands? Because, it seems as though they expect the minister to tackle every single issue, all at the same time, when it is impossible for her to do so.
Yes, the level of crime is out of control, but what is the role of the police force, the customs department and the coastguard? Aren’t they the ones who are (on a broad scale), responsible for making sure that the laws of the land are being upheld? So, why is it that the population does not focus their attention on the effectiveness of these three organizations, with regard to tackling crime?
If these institutions were managed efficiently, crime would have been on the decrease, significantly. So, does the success of combating crime rest solely on the shoulders of the minister, or does a large portion of this achievement depend mostly on how the directors of these critical organizations manage their individual institutions?
I’m not sure who runs the customs and the coastguard, but Chief Commissioner Carl John manages the police force, and for sure, his management style is yet to be desired. Usually, whenever there is crime of this magnitude, the chief of police addresses the public to condemn these types of activities. With all the rapes, murders, domestic abuse, child molestation, robberies, untimely deaths of scooter riders, have the population heard him denounce any of these acts? Nope!
Instead, he sits in his office with this “don’t-care attitude,” but the public expects the minister of justice to fix it. How come the attention is not on him? Where is the collaborated effort with the customs and the coastguard to combat this monster? Frankly, I think that the police chief needs to step down and allow someone with the capability to direct the police force, where police officers feel motivated to do their job optimally, and be appreciated for doing so.
On Monday, January 26, 2015, I wrote an article entitled, ‘Retrieve the country or lose it to criminals.’ I started out by saying: “Generally, whenever a country is overrun with weapons and criminal activities, persons of position and power are directly involved. Who they are, and how they manage to remain undercover, is the duty of the investigating team to find out. But believe it or not, the radar spans much farther than what meets the eye.”
Again, on Monday, August 15, 2015, I wrote another article entitled “The handwriting was on the wall.” In this article I mentioned that, “Brandishing guns has become the norm, and the fear of law enforcement is no longer visible.” I also quoted ex-police officer and former Member of Parliament Janchi Leonard, who said, “You can go anywhere and find a gun…” “If you want to go tomorrow, you don’t have to know the people dem.”
One year prior, on Thursday, September 25, 2014, I penned an article entitled, “Our security in under siege.” Within that piece I stated, “It appears that we are on the verge of defeat, as criminals are consistently testing the complacency of our judiciary system. These law breakers have set this trend for many years and so there is absolutely nothing new under the sun.”
Today, who are the ones still committing these crimes? They are mostly youngsters. Has the situation changed from then to now? Nope! Why is that? When I summed it up, three possibilities come to mind: The majority of fathers have neglected their children and so they are left to raise themselves; the heads of law enforcement have failed us; and persons in high places are well aware of the origins of these guns.
Minister Tackling, the level of crime has been a plague for quite some time and the appeal to tackle this situation is paramount. Therefore, always look beyond what you see. If I were in your position, I bring in a secretive squad to monitor all areas of law enforcement and a regular independent body, to scrutinize the sources of these guns and the recipients of these weapons that are destroying the foundation of this nation.
Joslyn Morton
